Golf-ball retriever



Dec. 19, 1944.

M. E. FONKEN 2,365,540

GOLF BALL RETRI EVER Filed Sept. 26, 1944 ISnvcntor:

444 077 5. Fa /(5m (Ittorncg.

I Patented Dec.-19, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF-BALL RETREVERMartin E. Fonken, Burbank, Calif.

Application September 26, 1944, Serial No. 555,772 7 Claims: (01.214-65) My present invention relates to means for retrieving golf ballsor similar objects from the ground or other surfaces.

In places such as a driving range for golf practice numerous ballsbecome scattered on the ground and it is customary to employ boys topick them up by hand. This is obviously a, tedious procedure. it istherefore a main object of this invention to facilitate retrieving ofobjects such as golf balls scattered on the ground by providingmechanical means which, when drawn over th ground, automaticallyretrieves the balls and deposits them in a receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture,and which does not include parts which might be damaged by the dirt orother matter present on the ground.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the possibility ofsome balls being forced into soft ground in the operation of the device.

Another object is to provide a device which will accommodate itself toinequalities in the surface of the ground.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be found in thedescription, the drawing, and the claims; and, for full understanding ofthe invention, reference is to be had to the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan of a golf-ball retrieving device embodying thisinvention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the numeral ll generally indicates a rotatable member,adapted to roll on the ground, comprising a plurality of thin disks l2supported on a shaft l3 and separated from each other by spacers it. Inthe space 85 (Fig.

,2) between the shaft and the spacers are ballbearings (not shown). Thedisks l2 are conveniently of ply-wood or may be of some other materialwhich is relatively stifi and has a, surface to which dirt or othermatter does not readily adhere. In devices as now constructed, thedistance between each of the adjacent disks is 1.625 inch, which isslightly less than the diameter of a golf ball; the present standardsize of a golf ball being 1.675 inch. Generally indicated at i6 isanother member which is identical in construction with the member 8 l.Each of these members is rotatably mounted on a frame which,

in the structure illustrated, comprises the extended end walls lI-l8 andlS-Zfl of rectangular receptacles 2| and 22, respectively.

Secured at it ends to the walls I! and I8 is a rod 23 (Figs. 2 and 3)upon which is mounted a plurality of ejector members 24 (shown inelevation in Fig. 2). These members are separated by spacers 25 so thatthey extend equidistantly between the disks l2, and their notched'lowerends rest on another rod 26 arranged parallel to rod 23 and secured tothe end walls l'l--l8. Mounted on the lower rod 26 is a plurality ofdiverging plates 21 which are so arranged that each is aligned with anddirectly ahead of a disk l2, the plates conveniently being secured inposition by welding. The bottom ends of plates 21 extend close to, butpreferably out of engagement with, the ground surface 28, as shown inFig. 2. Mounted on rods secured to the end walls l9 and 20 of the otherreceptacle 22 are ejector members and diverting plates identical withthose just described and cooperating in the same manner with therotatable member I 5; these parts having therefore been assigned thesame reference numerals.

The adjacent ends of the rotatable members I l and ii are coupledtogether by a flexible connection 29 threaded to the shafts l3, part ofthis connection being formed by the right-hand end of a draw-bar 30.Rockably connected to the draw-bar and attached to the flattened outerextremities of the shafts l3 are side arms 3| and 32. The receptacles 2|and 22 are supported on the draw-bar and on the side arms by means ofears 33-34 and 35-36 extending from the lefthand or front walls of thereceptacles and having openings freely fitting the supporting parts.

In operation the device is drawn over the ground, conveniently by alight motor vehicle, such as a three-wheeled motorcycle, connected tothe draw-bar; th sections or rotatable members of the device, because ofthe flexible or rockable connections between them, being capable ofconforming generally to uneven ground. when a relatively large area isto :be traversed, the number of sections may advantageously be increasedto three or more.

As the device passes over the balls, any of them that happen to bedirectly in line with the disks l2 are diverted to either side by theplates 2? so that they can be received between the disks;

engage th ejector members 24 upon which they ride until they are ejectedand fall into the receptacles. The general construction and arrangementof the disks permit each pair of them to hold several ballssimultaneously so that substantially all the balls traversed areretrieved.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is obviouslysusceptible of modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground, aframe adapted to be moved across the ground, a plurality of elementsmounted on said frame and spaced apart by a distance slightly less thanthe diameter of a standard golf ball, said elements being so constructedand arranged that the balls are gripped between them as the frame ismoved, a receptacle mounted on said frame, means for ejecting the ballsfrom between the elements and into said receptacle, and means mounted onsaid frame ahead of each of said elements for so diverting the ballsthat they pass between the elements.

2. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: aframe, a member rotatably mounted on said frame and adapted to roll onthe ground, said member comprising a plurality of disks spaced apart bya distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball andso arranged that as the member rolls over the balls they are grippedbetween the disks, 9. receptacle mounted on said frame, and means forejecting the balls from between the disks and into said receptacle.

3.,In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: aframe, a member rotatably mounted on said frame and adapted to roll onthe ground, said member comprising a plurality of spaced disks adaptedto grip the balls as the member rolls thereover, and means mounted onsaid frame ahead of each of said disks for so diverting the balls thatthey pass between the disks.

4. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: aframe, a member mounted on said frame and comprising a plurality ofre1atively stiff disks adapted to roll on the ground and spaced apart bya distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball so asto grip the balls and carry them, a receptacle mounted on said frame,and means mounted on the frame and projecting between the disks forejecting into said receptacle the balls carried by the disks.

5. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: a,frame, a member mounted on said frame and comprising a plurality ofrelatively stiff disks adapted to roll on the ground and spaced apart bya distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball so asto grip the balls and carry them, a receptacle mounted on said frame,means for ejecting the balls from between the disks and into saidreceptacle, and means mounted on said frame ahead of each of the disksfor so diverting the balls that they pass between the disks.

6. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: aplurality of elongated frames arranged on a generally-commonlongitudinal axis and adapted to be moved across the ground in adirection generally at right-angles to said axis, means on each of saidframes for gripping the balls traversed thereby, and meansinterconnecting the frames and permitting such relative movement thereofthat the device can conform to uneven ground.

7. In a device for retrieving golf balls scattered on the ground: aplurality of elongated frames each comprising a plurality of disksadapted to roll on the ground and spaced apart to grippingly receive theballs between them, said frames being so arranged that the axes ofrotation of all the disks are generally common, and

means interconnecting the frames and permitting such relative movementthereof that the device can conform to uneven ground.

MARTIN E. F'ONKEN.

